Riley Gables
by AccioBarakitty
Summary: Meet Riley Gables, a new first year to Hogwarts who just so happens to run into Albus Potter, James Potter, and Rose Weasley on the train ride over. Follow Riley as she befriends these kids, and discovers all the exciting adventures in the school.
1. The Hogwarts Express

**The Hogwarts Express**

"Mum! Hurry _up_! It's nearly 11, we're going to miss the train!" 11 year old Riley called to her mum, who had stopped to inquire about the location of the platform.

"Calm _down _Riley! I'm sure they won't leave without you." Her mum said.

"Did you not read the letter? The train leaves at _exactly_ 11:00, if we miss it, there'll be no way to get to Hogwarts, and I'll be stuck here for another year." Riley complained.

"Oh all right." sighed her mother, and she rushed to catch up with Riley, for Riley had broke out into a run towards platform 10. Soon Riley had dissappeared, through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, and her mother wasn't far behind her.

"Wow. Mum, did you ever expect anything like this to happen?" Asked Riley as she gazed at the train in front of her.

"No, of course I didn't." Said Riley's mum. "Now hurry up and jump on the train. I'll make sure your luggage gets on it. And Riley?" She said as her daughter started to turn towards the train.

"Yes mum?"

"Don't forget to text me-or owl me, what ever it is you do at that magic school, and tell me everything that's going on. I love you."

"I love you too mum." Said Riley, and gave her mother a hug before she turned and jumped on the train.

It took Riley 10 minutes, to find the section of the train where all the first years seemed to sit, and nearly 5 minutes longer to find a compartment that wasn't full of overly excited, or extremely nervous first years. Finally, near the back of the train, she found a compartment with only 3 kids in it.

Sliding open the door, she asked, "Hey, do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

"Not at all," One of the two boys said, "You can sit there." He pointed to an open section of the seat.

"Thanks." Riley said, and sat next to the only other girl. "I'm Riley by the way. Riley Gables."

"I'm James Potter." Said the older boy who told her where she could sit, "and this is my brother Albus."

Riley's eyes widened at the names. "Did you say James and Albus _Potter_, like Harry _Potter_? He's a legend!"

"Yeah," said James, "and he's also our dad, so don't start telling us stuff you've heard that he's done, because we've heard it a million times before."

Riley laughed, "No problem. I'll keep quiet." She turned to the girl next to her, who was listening to their conversation with a glint of amusement in her eyes, "And what's your name?"

"I'm Rose," The girl said, "Rose Weasley. Yeah, I'm also the kid of Ron and Hermione, the two people who helped Uncle Harry destroy Vol-You-Know-Who."

"You can say his name you know. It hasn't been tabooed for years." Said Albus to Rose. "Voldemort. See? Nothing happened."

Rose cringed. "Well I'm sorry my family didn't go around saying his name instead of You-Know-Who when I was learning how to talk." She snapped back.

"Sorry." He mumbled, sitting back into the seat.

"So Riley, what are you?" asked James, trying to change the subject.

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

"Are you a pureblood? Halfblood? Mudblood?" He inquired.

"James!" Albus said sitting straight up in his seat. "You _know _you shouldn't be saying things like that! I mean, what if you get switched into Slytherin for saying that?"

"Oh calm down, you know once you're sorted, you can't change houses. So anyway," James said, turning back to Riley, "What's your, erm, blood status?" He asked with an amused glance at Albus.

"I'm not sure." She said. "I'm either muggle born or a halfblood. My dad died when I was a baby, so if he was a wizard, he never had time to tell my mom."

"So you were raised by," Rose paused, "Muggles?" she said whispering. Riley nodded, glad that now, all their attention was on her. "So how did you find out you were a wizard? If your mum didn't know to tell you?"

"I found out when my Hogwarts letter came on my birthday. Obvisouly my mum found the whole idea of a hidden world of witches and wizards crazy, so she convinced me it was all a big joke." She laughed, "Then more and more letters came, and we found them in the weirdest places. One of them was in a carton of milk she bought at the store, instead of the milk. I think after that one she started to believe in all of this."

Riley looked around. James, Albus, and Rose all seemed fully engrossed in her story, so she continued. "In one of the letters, I think it's one designed for people in muggle families, it told us how to get to Diagon Alley, so she decided to check it out. She probably thought that if we couldn't get there, the letter was lying, and it would prove that someone was playing a joke on us. So we took the train to London, went to the Leaky Caulron, and did exactly what the letter said, and would you believe it? The brick wall opened up for us, revealing a whole street full of fun shops!

"We first stopped at Gringotts, the wizard bank, and my mum set up an account for me. She put 200 galleons in my bank to start with, and then took 100 out so we could buy everything on the supply list. We got to go to Madame Malkins, and my mum let me get a brand new set of robes! Then we went to Flourish and Blotts, and she bought all of the books we need as first years. She also got me a cauldron, and _loads _of potions ingredients, in case I need a bunch. And would you believe this, she let me get an _owl_. A real live owl! It's a barn owl, and her name is Juniper. Anyway, after that, we headed to Ollivanders." Riley paused to pull out her wand, "And I got this. It's dogwood, 11 and 3/4 inches with a dragon heartstring core."

"So basically you did everything a regular wizard does in Diagon Alley?" asked James, not seeming as interested as he did when she was talking about getting her letter.

Riley blushed, "Well, I don't really know what regular wizards do."

"James, don't be rude! I'm suprised you were sorted into Gryffindor considering how mean you can be." Rose said, defending Riley.

"I doubt that old hat works anyway. I bet all it could figure out from me, is that I'm a Potter, so I must belong in Gryffindor." James said irritably.

"Aha! So it _is _a hat that sorts you!"Albus exclaimed, then he turned to Riley. "James has been telling us a bunch of nonsense about how you get sorted. Before you showed up, he was telling us about how you've got to battle a troll, with your only weapon being your wand."

"That's part of it too!" James exclaimed, trying to cover up his lie. "If you don't pass the troll, you get sent back."

Riley's eyes widened. _You could get sent back from Hogwarts?_ "That's not true? Is it? I haven't learned any spells, if we have to fight a troll, I'll be sent home immediately."

Rose put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, it isn't. James got that idea from my Dad, when he was telling us about his first year at Hogwarts. Mum told me all you've ever had to do, and will have to do, is sit on a chair, and let the hat choose where you go. It's as simple as that."

"What house are you hoping to be placed in?" Asked Albus.

"Well, I was hoping to be in Gryffindor, but knowing me, I'll probably be put in Hufflepuff." Said Riley.

"You and me are probably going to be placed in Gryffindor." Said Rose, looking at Albus. "No matter how much you think you're bound to be in Slytherin, the Hat will know that our parents helped destroy the most dangerous Slytherin ever."

"Yeah, but what if-." Albus started to say, but was interrupted when the door to their compartment flew open, and there stood a boy with a pointed face, pale blue eyes and white-blonde hair, with two pudgy, dark haired boys standing behind him.

Riley's first impression of the two boys behind the blonde boy, was that they were bodygaurds for the blonde, but she now noticed they too, were students.

"Malfoy." Albus said with a sneer.

"Potter. Didn't realize you and the Weasels," He drawled with a glance at Rose, "Were actually allowed to attend school this year."

"And why wouldn't we be able to Scorpius? Seeing as our dad is the only reason the school is still open." Snapped James.

"Well, he_ is _part of the group of people who helped destroy it in the first place? Is he not?" Scorpius asked mockingly.

"Don't go making jokes about our father." Said Albus, "Didn't yours almost get locked up in Azkaban? Along with _his _dad?"

Right after Albus said that, Scorpius was up in his face with his wand out and pointed straight at him. "Don't you _dare _say anything bad about my father, or my grandfather!"

"Oh? What will you do?" Albus asked, pushing Mafoy's wand away,"Jelly Legs jinx me? Try and see what Alohomora does to a human?"

Riley was too busy listening to what Albus and Scorpius were yelling about, to notice that James and Rose had both pulled out their wands. Once she noticed this, she hastily pulled her wand out of her pocket. She didn't know any spells, but figured if it came to the point of throwing spells, she could just as easily stab either Scorpius, or the two guys behind him with it.

"Now you've done it!" Shouted Scorpius as he dropped his wand and pulled his fist back. Obvisouly he too didn't know any spells.

"_Petrificus Totalus!"_ A loud voice clearly shouted, and Scorpius froze, falling backwards like a statue. Riley turned to see a red haired girl with her wand out and pointed at Scorpius. The girl looked to be about 17, and had a red badge with a P on it, pinned to her robes. "_What _do you think you're doing?" She demanded.

"He started it!" Shouted Albus in defense. "We were perfectly happy in here, when he walked in and started to make fun of dad!"

"He's telling the truth Victoire!" Rose said, backing up Albus.

Victoire sighed and murmered to herself, "I promised Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione I'd keep you safe, and _this _is what I get?" Then she spoke louder to the group, "Ok. I'll over look this for now. But if I ever catch you in a situation like this again, I'll have to tell someone." Victoire pulled her wand out again, and pointed it at Scorpius's frozen body, "_Finite Incantatem._"

Right after she said that, Scorpius's once frozen body became active again. He jumped up off the floor, and started to yell at Albus, but then noticed the new arrival, Victoire. "Come on, let's get out of here." He said to the two boys who still hadn't entered the compartment.

Victoire watched as they sulked off, and turned back to Albus, James, Rose, and Riley. "If they bother you again, I want to hear about it. I was made prefect for a reason." And with that, she turned and walked off.

"Bloody hell," murmered Rose, "That was an event."

"Got that right." Agreed James.

The rest of their trip on the Hogwarts Express was uneventful. Albus, Rose, and James all found Riley's disgust with the moving chocolate frogs hilarious, and laughed when she got a liver flavored Bertie Bott every flavored bean. But sooner than Riley wished, the train pulled to a stop, and Hagrid's voice could be heard calling first years to him.


	2. The Sorting Ceremony

**Chapter 2 The Sorting Ceremony**

Riley, Albus, and Rose all got up, and out of the train, towards the enormous man calling out to them.

"That must be Hagid!" Albus exclaimed. "Dad's told us loads of stories about him, but we never got to meet him. Supposively he's a half giant!"

Riley looked up at Hagrid, who could easily be three times her height. "There's really such thing as _giants_?" She squeaked. Giants were supposed to be something only found in fairy tales, but then again, so were witches and wizards.

"I forgot you don't know much about the wizard world." murmered Albus. "But yeah, there are giants and werewolves, and even elves! But the elves don't look like those tiny people with pointy ears muggles picture them as, the muggle elf reminds me of goblins."

"Get o'er here firs' years!" Hagrid shouted, lifting a lantern to his face, as if to help people notice him. "Blimey!" Hagrid exclaimed, as Albus, Rose, and Riley gathered around him. "You's mum's and dad's is Harry, Ron, and 'ermione, right?"

"Yep!" said Rose, happily. "And we've heard loads about you!"

Giant sized tears welled up into Hagrid's eyes. "Yer mum and dad's talked about me? Tha's so sweet o' them!"

"Don't cry Hagrid. And don't forget, aren't you supposed to be getting us first years on the boats?" Albus put a comforting hand on Hagrid's arm.

"What? Er' oh yeah." Said Hagrid, composing himself. "Firs' years! O'er here!" He shouted over and over at the first years, and led the group of them to a line of boats on the shore. "Now, I want yeh all to get in a boat!" He commanded, "No more than three to a boat, and no less!" Then he turned back to Albus and Rose, he didn't take much notice to Riley, "Yer all gotta come an' visit me soon ok? I spose yer dad's told yeh where I live, it hasn't changed. Now you three all hop in a boat, got a schedule here." He pulled out a pocket watch that appeared tiny compared to his massive hands, and showed it to them, as if to prove he had a schedule.

Riley, Albus, and Rose all clambered into the same boat, and once everyone was seated, Hagrid pushed each individual boat into the water.

Several first years oohed, and ahhed, as many got their first glimpse of the castle. It was huge, Riley could tell that even being so far away.

"Look at it." Whispered Rose, from behind Riley. "I've only seen it in pictures, and think about it, we're actually _here_."

They rode in silence, the boats magically following Hagrid towards the castle. Too soon, they crashed into the shore, and waited as Hagrid pulled each boat onto the shore. Some of the first years got up wobbly, from being on the water too long, and some people seemed in a state of shock. Hagrid called out for everyone to follow him, and started to walk up, towards the castle above.

They walked all the way up to the front door of the castle. Hagrid stopped, and pounded on the door three times with his garbage can sized fist. At once, the door swung open to reveal a tall, grey haired witch, wearing emerald green robes and a stern look on her face.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall." Said Hagrid to the witch.

"Thank you Hagrid, you may head to the Great Hall now, if you wish." Said Professor McGonagall, and Hagrid left the first years with her. She pulled the door out wide, and beckoned the first years to follow her. She led them to a small, empty chamber of the hall, where they could hear hundreds of voices from the other students, who had already arrived.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." She said to the first years, "The start of term feast will begin shortly, but before we begin, you must be sorted into your houses. The Sorting Ceremony is quite important, because while you are here, your house, will be like your family. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and when you have free time, spend it in your house common room.

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own, noble history, and each has produced it's share of extraordinary witches and wizards. While you attend school at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, and any rule-breaking, will lose you points. At the end of the year, the house, which has been awarded the most points, will win the House Cup. I hope each and every one of you, will be credit to which ever house you are placed in.

"The Sorting Ceremony will begin in a few minutes in front of the school. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly here." She turned and left the chamber.

Riley turned to Albus and Rose, "Guys, I'm so nervous!"

"You think you're nervous?" Asked Albus and Riley studied him. He seemed slightly paler, and was fiddling with the edge of his robe.

"You ok Albus?" Asked Rose, looking concerned.

"What if I get put into Slytherin? I'll be stuck in the same house as Scorpius for the next seven years, and there's no way I could deal with that!"

"It's ok. You _won't_." Rose reassured him, "And anyway, remember what your dad said, you can ask the hat to put you in Gryffindor."

_You can ask the hat to put you somewhere? _Thought Riley excitedly. _That meant she could ask to be in Gryffindor _too _and the three of them, plus James, could be together for the next 7 years! _

Riley was about to tell her plan to Albus and Rose, when someone screamed. Quickly, Riley whipped her head towards the sound, and saw about twenty, pearly white ghosts floating into the room.

"I simply cannot stand him!" A short and squat ghost was saying. "It won't be long before he won't even listen to the Bloody Barron! Then he'd destroy this school from the bottom up!"

"I agree my dear Friar." Spoke a ghost wearing a ruff and tights. "Peeves is simply getting out off hand. Hey! What are you doing here?" He asked towards the first years, who, instead of replying, stared up at him, open mouthed.

The Fat Friar answered for them, "First years! Brand new students by the looks of it. About to be sorted I suppose?"

A few people merely nodded.

"Well then! I hope to see you in Hufflepuff! That was my old house, you know."

"Move along, move along!" McGonagall shouted at the ghosts, reappearing from where ever she had gone to. "Now come on children, the Sorting Ceremony is about to begin. Form a line, and follow me please."

McGonagall waited patiently for the children to group into a line. Riley, Albus and Rose managed to sqeeze in the middle of the line. Professor McGonagall then turned on her heel, and started to walk back through the hall she came from. She led the students through a large pair of double doors, which enclosed the Great Hall.

Riley had never imagined such a large, beautiful room in her life. There were four, long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting, and on the opposite side of the room, sat a table with all the Professors. Each of the tables had magnificent gold goblets, and empty golden trays. The students stopped walking once they reached the table with the Professors, and turned to face the rest of the students. Riley had noticed that there didn't appear to be a ceiling in the Great Hall, but over heard someone telling their friend it was just bewitched to look however it did outside.

Looking down, back towards Professor McGonagall, Riley noticed that she had silently sat a chair down in front of them. On the chair, sat a old, tattered, witches hat. _This must be the sorting hat,_ thought Riley. It certainly looked as old as James had suggested. Riley looked towards the tables to try and spot James, and discovered him sitting near the front of one of the Gryffindor table. She glanced to her side, to see if Albus had noticed his brother, to see that he was staring intently at the hat. Riley flicked her eyes towards it again just as it started to twitch. Then, a rip near the brim of the hat, opened wide, like a mouth-and the hat began to sing.

_"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_ But don't judge me on what you see,_

_ I'll east myself if you can find_

_ A smarter hat than me._

_ You can keep your bowlers black_

_ Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_ For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_ And I can cap them all._

_ There's nothing hidden in your head,_

_ The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_ So try me on and I will tell you_

_ Where you ought to be._

_ You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_ Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_ Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_ Set Gryffindors apart;_

_ You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_ Where they are just and loyal._

_ Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,_

_ And unafraid of toil;_

_ Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_ If you've a ready mind,_

_ Where those of wit and learning,_

_ Will always find their kind;_

_ Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_ You'll make your real friends,_

_ Those cunning folks use any means,_

_ To achieve their ends._

_ So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_ And don't get me in a flap!_

_ You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_ For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

Once the hat finished it's song, the whole Hall burst into applause. Even many of the first years were clapping excitedly and staring at the hat with wonder. The hat bowed towards each of the four tables, and then became very still, once again.

Riley could hear people murmering that they didn't feel they belonged in any of the houses, and silently agreed with them, yet she stayed silent. Professor McGonagall walked back to the hat, this time, holding a long scroll of parchment.

"I will call your name, and you will come forward and sit on the stool. Then I will place the sorting hat on your head, so you can be sorted into your houses."

She rolled out the scroll of parchment and read out the first name on the list. "Atkins, Mary!"

A young girl nervously stepped out of line and headed towards the stool. Slowly, she sat down, and Professor McGonagall sat the hat on her head. At first, it seemed that the hat wasn't working, because all it did was sit there. But soon enough, it started to move once more.

"RAVENCLAW!" The hat shouted, and the young girl jumped off her chair, and nearly sprinted to the Ravenclaw table as they broke out in cheers.

"Attwood, Grace!" Called out McGonagall.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat called out after a moment of thought.

McGonagall kept going though the list, and Riley kept listening intently for the G's to begin. Soon, she heard her own name be called.

"Gables, Riley!"

Riley could feel her heart pounding in her chest, as she moved forward to the decision that would determine her future at Hogwarts. She nervously sat down on the chair, and felt the hat be placed on her head. It fell over her eyes, which she closed, to concentrate fully on the house she wanted to be placed in. _Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor._ Riley chanted the name over and over inside her head. _Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor. _She felt the hat slip in her brain, and read every thought she ever had, all in the course of a few seconds.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Screamed the hat. Riley's eyes flew open and the hat was pulled off her head. Numbly, she got off the chair, and walked over to sit with the cheering Gryffindors. She couldn't believe it had worked; that she had _actually_ been placed in Gryffindor. A huge grin spread across her face as "_Griffin, Korica"_, was called up. Quickly, applause erupted at the Gryffindor table when the hat had placed her into Gryffindor. The young, black girl, skipped over and plopped down right next to Riley.

After that, Riley paid more attention to the sorting, to see who else, was going to be in her house. _"Hansen, Elizabeth." _had been called up after Korica, and Riley watched as she was sorted into Slytherin. Following her, was _"Hope, Veronica" _and she was sorted into Hufflepuff.

Eventually, Riley got bored of listening to people get sorted, and turned to wisper to her neighbor, Korica. Not long after Riley gave up listening, did she return her attention to the hat, because Professor McGonagall had called out a name she had heard many times that day. "Malfoy, Scorpius."

Riley watched as he swagged towards the stool, and sat down on it. A smug grin was on his face. McGonagall placed the sorting hat on his head, and it was barely on a second before the rip on it opened up and shouted, "SLYTHERIN!". He hopped off the stool and strutted over to the cheering Slytherin table.

After that Riley was only half listening, until she heard the hat start going through the P's. Soon, right after _"Palmer Ciara."_ was called and sorted into Ravenclaw, she heard Albus being called.

Riley watched as he nervously headed toward the stool, and gave him a thumbs up sign and a smile when he glanced in her direction. He took a deep breath and sat down. Riley held her breath and crossed her fingers when the hat was placed on his head, chanting Gryffindor in her head, as she had when she was up there. The hat bent, creating folds in it to look like a face, deep in thought, then it straightened up, opened its wide mouth, and shouted.

"GRYFFINDOR!" A hgue grin broke out on Albus's, Rose's, and Riley's face. He hopped up off the stool, and ran to the open seat across from Riley. The Gryffindor house was cheering, and James reached over the table to give his brother a high five. From the Slytherin table, she could hear booing, apperantly they had been hoping to have a Potter in their house.

"Congrats." She whispered to Albus once the cheering and booing had quieted.

"Thanks." He whispered back, then directed his attention to the rest of the sorting. After Albus had been sorted, Riley decided to watch until Rose was sorted. Riley secretly hoped that she too, would be a Gryffindor, and they could have as much fun every day as they did today on the train together.

Not long after Albus was sorted, Rose was called up to the sorting hat. Riley's eyes followed her as she stepped up to the chair. The corner of Riley's mouth pulled up when she saw Rose's fingers crossed by her side. Rose slowly say on the stool, and McGonagall placed the sorting hat on her head. The hat came to life instantly, unlike with Albus when it took a second or two to think.

"Another Weasley?" That hat asked. "I think we both know what to do with you. . .GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table burst into applause almost as loud as it had been when Albus was sorted. The only reason it was quieter, was because instead of booing, the Slytherins were snickering.

Rose raced over and sat down right next to Albus. He and Riley both gave her a high five, and Victoire came over to hug her.

"That was so nerve racking!" exclaimed Rose once everyone was done cheering. "I didn't know _what _that hat had been doing inside everyone's head. All I remember really, is wanting, no, _needing _to be in Gryffindor. I can't imagine what I'd do if I was placed somewhere else."

"Cry for a while then realize how awesome everyone in your house is while missing us deeply." Albus replied simply.

Riley and Rose both laughed at him. Rose opened her mouth to reply, but just then, the Professor sitting in the middle of the Professor's table stood up, and the room was silented.


	3. Professor Aliquam

**Chapter 3 The New Headmaster**

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" The headmaster exclaimed. Riley looked at him, he seemed to be fairly young, with short, dark hair, yet he still showed a few wrinkles. He had a smile in his eyes, that never seemed to disappear as he talked. "For those of you who are new, and do not know me, I am Professor Aliquam. Headmaster, of Hogwarts. I would like to say a few things before we begin our feast, but those can wait until we are finished." Professor Aliquam sat back down, and Riley turned towards the table again.

Her eyes grew wide. Before Professor Aliquam had started his speech, the trays we sitting on the table, without a trace of food on them, but now, they were covered with all sorts of delicious foods. Riley noticed many other students filling their plates, and began to do the same.

"Can you believe it?" Asked Rose as she was stuffing chicken in her mouth. "We _all _got the same house!"

"I agree." Albus answered her, "I was sure I was going to be put in Slytherin, did I look nervous?"

"Only if you call looking nervous being paler than a ghost and taking your time to get there, then yeah." Riley spoke, and they all laughed. Just then, one of the many ghosts who were floating around the Great Hall came up to them and introduced himself.

"Hello everyone!" The ghost cheered. "My name is Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, and I am the ghost of the Gryffindor house."

"I know who you are!" Exclaimed Rose through a mouthful of food, "You're Nearly Headless Nick! Dad and Mum have told us loads about you."

"Oh have they now?" Asked Nick, clearly glad he was being talked about outside of Hogwarts. "Who are they, may I ask?"

"Well," Albus started to say, before Rose could start to speak with another full mouth, "Her mum and dad are Ron and Hermione Weasley, mine are Harry and Ginny Potter."

Nearly Headless Nick's head nearly toppled off his neck, "Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny?" Albus and Rose nodded and Nick beamed. "They were always my favorite of the Gryffindors you know. Bravest people I knew! I even had your dad," he nodded towards Albus, "at my death day party! What fun it was with him there. Of course, he was only 12, but still as brave as he was when he was 17."

"We know." James cut in. "He told us all about your rotten food, and the headless hunt and all that."

"Then I guess I should be off." Said Nick and he floated off, depressed.

"James!" Exclaimed Rose once she finally swallowed her food. "What was that for?"

"Don't bother becoming friends with Nick." James said to her. "All he cares about now is himself, and will talk for hours if you let him. He's like Slughorn." James gestured to an older man, eating slowly at the Professors table. "Do you know how many times in potions he mentioned how fantastic dad was at potions? It's like all he cares about is the famous people he had in his little Slug Club."

Riley looked back at the old Professor James had pointed out. He didn't seem like the type to boast about things like that. She figured it was just another of the many made up stories about Hogwarts that James loved to tell. In fact, him being mean to the poor old professor made her so annoyed for some reason, that she hastily tried to change subjects. "So, do you recognize anyone here from the wizard world? I don't see any of the people I knew here."

"Scorpius, Armour, and Blotch. We met them on the train, you remember them." Albus said, gesturing to Scoripius and his two large friends. "Our dad and his dad sometimes talk. Our dad saved his dad's life or something. Dad keeps going on to us about how we should be friends with Scorpius, but when ever we're stuck in a room together, someone gets punched."

"It's pretty funny too, considering none of them have been taught how to fight." James said, laughingly.

"I know what I'm doing! I nearly knocked him out last time!" Albus argued.

"No you didn't." Rose laughed. "I was there too remember?"

Albus scowled. "Well maybe I didn't. But I _did _give him a black eye, you can't deny that, you saw it!"

"Well . . ." began Rose.

"What?" demanded Albus.

"You _did _have that old boxing telescope you found in the attic with you. The one that nearly broke my nose."

"Just forget it." Albus said, and he sat slumped down, playing with his food.

No one spoke much after that. Riley felt bad for bringing up a topic that would start an argument between them, and started to eat some of her food.

After everyone had eaten all they could, the remains of food on the plates and trays dissapeared, and soon the table was once again full with every flavor ice cream you could imagine, treacle tart, apple pies, doughnuts of every shape, flavor and color, and to Riley's delight, pudding.

She scooped up loads of pudding and dumped spoonfuls of it on her plate. Then she grabbed a doughnut, a slice of apple pie, and a scoop of icecream, and stacked her plate until there wasn't room to put anymore food. First, she tried the pudding, and was amazed at how incredible the flavor was. Then she had a bite of a doughnut, some apple pie, and just a bit of icecream.

"That was the best dessert ever." She said, as she put her spoon down. Rose just nodded in agreement at her, for her mouth was full of pie, and Albus gave her a thumbs up of agreement, because his mouth was stuffed with a doughnut.

Once Rose finished her pie, she spoke, "Dad's told me the dessert here was good, but I never imagined it to be this good!

"It's amazing isn't it!" exclaimed Albus. "It's like the sugar is having a party in my mouth."

Riley laughed, imagining tiny pieces of sugar having a party in Albus's mouth. It seemed absurd, but, in Riley's mind, totally possible because it was a wizard school after all. Anything was possible.

Eventually, the first years at the table took to talking to each other. Instead of the few who they had sat with on the bus. Riley learned quickly that the girl Korica, who was sorted directly after her, was a huge fan of the Potter family, and was ecstatic to be in the same house as the two Potter kids.

Mike Bossler, who had been sorted a while before Riley, told them all the story of how his Hogwarts letters appeared in his mum's bathtub while she was bathing, and how she still wouldn't believe Hogwarts was real.

Peter Wokosure was a pureblood, who hated being in Gryffindor. He had, had his heart set on being a Slytherin, which was the house his friend was placed in. But after a little while at the Gryffindor table, Peter began to warm up to his new, fellow house members.

The girl sitting next to Rose, Ebony Whittenberg, told them how her dad went mental from being in the same house as two witches, and was now being treated in St Mungo's. Apperantly he didn't know her mum was a witch until after they had had Ebony.

Soon, everyone had told an interesting story or two, and they all were joking around with each other like best friends. Even Peter was enjoying being a Gryffindor, although he wasn't being entirely into it like everyone else was.

After a long night of joking and laughing, the desserts finally faded, and the plates and trays this time, faded with them. Professor Aliquam once again got to his feet, to continue the speech he started at the beginning of the feast.

"I would like to say just a few words, now that we are all well fed, and watered. To begin, I would like to inform our new students that the forest on Hogwarts grounds is strictly forbidden to all pupils. A few of our older students would do well being reminded that as well." His eyes flicked towards the Slytherin table.

"Mr. Filch, our wonderful caretaker, has once again, asked me to remind you that magic is not permitted between classes, and in the corriders.

"Quidditch tryouts will be held shortly, and those of you who wish to tryout, should refer to their house's Quidditch captain. The captains, for those of you who are wondering, are as follows: The Slytherin Quidditch captain is once again, William Behling." A guy at the back of the Slytherin table stood up so everyone could see who he was. "The Ravenclaw Quidditch captain is Darren Tait." The Ravenclaws clapped as Darren stood up to nod at his table. "The Gryffindor Quidditch captain is Natalie Cross!" Natalie stood up and a the whole lot of Gryffindors around her started to cheer. "And finally, the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain, is Hailey Daumount." Hailey stood up with a smile on her face, and waved to the Hufflepuff's.

"If you have any questions about when Quidditch tryout are, these people would be the best to ask." Aliquam continued. "That is all the announcements I have for tonight, but before we go to bed, let us sing our school song!"

He gave a little flick of his wand, and a long, golden ribbon flew out the end of it. The ribbon rose high above the tables, and twisted itself into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," Aliquam cried, "And here we go!"

The school erupted into song.

_"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, _

_ Teach us something please._

_ Whether we be old and bald_

_ Or young with scabby knees,_

_ Our heads could do with filling_

_ With some interesting stuff._

_ For now they're bare and full of air,_

_ Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_ So teach us things worth knowing._

_ Bring back what we've forgot._

_ Just do your best, we'll do the rest_

_ And learn until our brains all rot."_

Everyone had finished singing at different times, and soon, it was only a group of Ravenclaws singing at a very slow pace. Once they had finished, the whole hall errupted into applause.

Once the applause died out, and everyone was again sitting, Professor Aliquam spoke. "Now that we have finished our lovely school song, it is off to bed for everyone! First years, follow your prefects, they will lead you to your dormitories."


	4. Gryffindor

**Chapter 4 Gryffindor**

The prefects for each house stood up, and started calling to the first years. Riley, Rose, and Albus quickly found Victoire,and waited until she had a small group of first year Gryffindors around her.

"Ok, I think I've got enough of you to start showing you the way to the common room." She said, and started to leave the great hall. The small group of first years followed her, and listened intently as she talked about the classes they would have.

"To start with, you have potions. Which I'm sure all of you know about because you all had to buy a cauldron and potion ingredients in Diagon Alley. Professor Slughorn teaches that, and he's a wonderful teacher, but he does tend to pick favorites. If you're one of the unlucky few who he chooses for his "Slug Club", well, good luck.

"Then we have Defense Against the Dark Arts. In that class, you learn all sort of defensive spells, and certain types of Dark Magic. Professor Movens teaches that, he's probably going to end up as a favorite teacher for many of you.

"Another exciting class first years have to take is Charms. Professor Flitwick teaches that, and he is the funniest teacher ever. It's not that he actually says funny things, it's that he's so short, and his voice is so high-pitched. Anyway, in that class you get to practice a bunch of fun spells, that can be very useful sometimes.

"Then there's always Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid teaches that. Even though he is a nice person, and becomes friends with many of the students, the creatures he shows us, are a little brutal. Be prepared.

"And there's everyone's favorite flying. In that class, Madame Hootch is in charge of that, and only first years have it. Basically, she teaches you the proper way to fly, so, if you wish, you can try out for Quidditch next year."

Katie Johnson, a first year Riley had met in the Great Hall, interrupted Victoire. "What's Quidditch?" She asked.

Victoire paused, the said, "Well, Quidditch is the most popular wizarding game out there. There are 7 players to a team, and 4 balls. The first ball, the Quaffle, is what you use to score. The chasers compete for the quaffle, and throw it through one of three hoops. The hoops are gaurded by the Keeper. Then there are 2 bludgers. The bludgers fly around, and try to knock the players off their brooms, but the beaters, try and keep the bludgers from doing that. Then there is the snitch. The snitch is a tiny golden ball with wings, that flies around the quidditch pitch. The seekers job is to catch the snitch, in order to end the game."

"That's confusing." Katie said at last, and everyone laughed.

Victoire smiled, then continued to talk about classes as she led them up a large section of staircases. "There are only three more classes you will be taking. One of them, is herbology, taught by Professor Longbottom. In that class you learn all about magical pl-" Victoire was cut off when a few first years screamed, and the staircase they were on started to move. Riley held tight to side of it, sure they would be falling soon.

"Oh yeah," Victoire said, suddenly remembering. "You may want to keep an eye on the staircases. They tend to move."

"That would have been a good thing to know _before _we stepped onto it." Muttered Riley, as she stood back up.

Victoire seemed to have forgotten about telling the students about classes at Hogwarts, as she led them towards a painting of a very fat lady.

"Password?" The Fat Lady asked.

"Virtus." Victoire said clearly, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a large, round hole in the wall, which they all climbed through. Soon, they found themselves inside the Gryffindor common room.

It was warm, and had a cozy feeling around the common room. There were large, squashy armchairs around the room, and a fireplace. Which already had a fire ablaze in it. On one side of the room, was a spiral staircase, with doors on either end. Victoire directed the boys to their dormitory, and led the girls to another.

Riley and Rose said good night to Albus, and followed Victoire to their dormitory. The room their year was supposed to sleep in, was at the top of a spiral staircase, and inside they finally found their beds. Five four poster beds were inside the room, and each had deep red, velvet curtains hanging off of it. Each of their trunks, lay at the foot of their bed.

Riley and Rose quickly found their bed, pulled their pajamas on, and too tired to talk, fell asleep.

Riley woke with a start and looked around. She sighed. _It wasn't a dream_, she told herself, _all of this is real_. Riley slipped out of her bed, and tip toed over to the bed she knew Rose occupied, to see if she was awake. She wasn't. Riley was half tempted to wake her, so the two of them could walk down and find Albus together, but decided not too.

Quietly, Riley left their dorm room, and slowly traveled down the spiral staircase, into the common room. She found a few Gryffindors already awake, talking with each other, a few already in their school robes. Quickly, she saw that Albus was already up, and he and James were studying a piece of parchment in James' hand.

"What's that?" Whispered Riley when she went to join them. James jumped and glanced over at her.

"Oh, it's just you. I was afraid you were Victoire or someone." James said. "That would have been bad."

"Why would it have been bad?" Riley asked, confused.

"Well," James began, folding up the peice of parchment. "Before we left, I grabbed this," he lifted up the folded up parchment, "from his desk. He's never told us what it was, but would also never let us use it. Normally, the drawer he keeps it in, is locked, but as mum was loading up the car from the ministry to head to King's Cross, I had Albus here, unlock it with his new wand. We left before dad could notice it was missing."

"Yeah." added Albus, "The only problem is we don't know what it is, or how to use it. James tried to get it to reveal itself, but all it did was make fun of him."

"Well maybe that's all it's supposed to do." Suggested Riley.

"If it was, why would dad have locked it up?" Asked James frustrated.

"Because it's _not _just a peice of parchment made to insult someone, try saying a bunch of random things." suggested Albus excitedly.

"Ok, um. Show your secrets." Nothing happened. "Alohamora." Again, nothing. "My dad killed Voldemort."

When James said this Albus was engulfed in laughter. He could barely form a word without dissolving into a fit of giggles. "That'd...be...HILARIOUS...if...that...worked!"

"Supid parchment." James said, throwing it to the floor. "Albus, stop laughing! It wasn't that funny!"

"What's that?" The three of them spun around. Rose was standing behind them. Her red hair was messy and she was still in her nightgown. "What's that?" She repeated.

"A peice of parchment dad had locked up." Albus said to her. "All we've gotten it to do it make fun of us. Do you remember anything Uncle Ron said to you that may be the way to unlock it?"

Rose thought for a minute. "Well . . ." she began. "There was this _one _thing he mentioned. Some sort of magical map to Hogwarts, maybe this is it."

"Fantastic." James said sarcasticly. "We spend an hour trying to figure out what it is, only to discover it's a bloody map of Hogwarts." He got up iritably to leave.

"No, wait." Rose said, stopping him, and gesturing for him to sit back down. He obliged."It wasn't just an ordinary map. It showed _something _important on it. I think dad mentioned it when he was telling us about Uncle George, and Uncle Fred. But you two," she pointed at Albus and James, "know as well as I do those stories don't last long."

"Why not?" Asked Riley, curious.

"Well, you see-" Rose began, but she was quickly cut off by James.

"Never mind that!" He shouted, "Did Uncle Ron say how you unlock the bloody thing?"

"Oh yeah!" Rose exclaimed, having forgotten about the map. "He mentioned having to say some sort of incantation. But, the thing is, it wasn't the types of incantations we're used to. It was like a sentence, but I can't remember how the whole thing went. All I remember was it saying 'I solemnly swear', but I'm positive there was more to it than that."

James didn't seem to care she thought there was more to it. He tapped his wand to the parchment, and said "I solemnly swear.". Nothing happened.

"I told you." Rose said, in a matter of fact tone. "There's more to it than that. And there's also something you have to say to make the parchment go blank again."

"This is confusing." Albus said. "Let's just go and eat." Riley and Rose agreed, but James said he wanted to try and get the map to reveal.

Albus waited downstairs for Rose and Riley to change into their robes, then the three of them started to head down the stairs and to the Great Hall.


	5. Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs

**Chapter 5 Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs**

The first breakfast at Hogwarts went by uneventfully. The three of them talked about things that they could possibly say to make the Hogwarts map appear on the parchment, but had to stop once more and more Gryffindors joined the table.

Soon, the first years conversation turned towards classes, and every single student wondered what classes they would have that day.

"I hope we have double potions first. With Slytherins." Peter Wokosure said. Riley remembered him having a friend who was placed in Slytherin.

"I don't!" Albus complained. "All those bloody Slytherins better stay far away from us."

"Albus calm down." Rose said to Albus. "We're bound to have double classes with them some time or other."

"And when we do," Riley added, "we're going to show those Slytherins just how much better we are than them! At anything!"

Albus smiled when she said this, and was about to reply when Professor McGonagall walked over to them.

"Attention first years." She said in a loud, clear voice. All the first years turned to look at her. "I have your class schedule for today, which I will verbally tell you. But tomorrow, and every day after, you must locate your schedule on the house bulletin, located in the common room. Immediately after you are dismissed, you will head to potions, with the Slytherins." This immediately caused an uproar of groans from the first years, and a small smile from Peter. "After that," McGonagall continued, taking no notice to the complaints, "you will head outside to Hagrid's hut, where you will have Care of Magical creatures. Following that is lunch, which will be in here, and then I will tell you your last classes." After she had told them their schedules, she turned and walked away, back towards the Professors table.

"Can you believe that our very first class at Hogwarts is with the Slytherins?" Albus complained. "I've heard potions is hard anyway, and it won't be much easier with a bunch of bloody snakes breathing down our necks."

Riley couldn't explain it, but she hated Albus complaining about a group of people he hardly knew. It was just because of the ever lasting feud between the houses, that made it's occupants dislike one another. Honestly, she couldn't see what was wrong with the Slytherins, other than Scorpius of course.

"Albus, stop complaining." Riley finally told Albus, interupting another of of his escapades about how bad Slytherins were. He looked at her, shocked that she had said this to him. "You only know three Slytherins, and I bet they are all as bad as you've heard."

"If they're not all bad, then why hasn't there been a witch or wizard that went to Voldemort's side that wasn't in Slytherin?" Albus asked her defensively.

Thankfully, Rose answered for her. "Actually, there have been plenty of people from other houses here that went bad. Just because Voldemort was a Slytherin, doesn't mean that all of his followers were."

Albus, who couldn't think of a retort to say back, just sat there, irritated. Lucky for him, James ran up to the table, holding the peice of parchment in his hands. "I figured it out! I figured it out!" He exclaimed.

"Shhh!" Rose said, scooting over so James could sit down by them. "People are staring."

"Oh, sorry." He apoligized and lowered his voice. "So I figured out how to unlock the map, and check it out." James passed the map to Rose, who looked at it, then passed it to Albus. Albus took a quick look at it, then his eyes got wide. He passed it to Riley who looked down at it.

On the once blank parchment, was now a complete, to scale, map of Hogwarts. Riley first thought that was all it was, until she saw little dots, all in the Great Hall, and a few in the dormitories. She squinted to see it better, and saw names, floating around the small dots as they moved around.

"So the map shows everyone?" Riley asked, handing it back to James.

"Everyone." He confirmed. "Where they are, what they're doing, every minute, of every day."

"Brilliant." Albus said, his eyes shining with mischeif. "Imagine all the things we could do with this."

"I know." Agreed James. "Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs who ever you are, we thank you."

Riley laughed at this for it sounded like James was praying to the four inventors of the map, but Rose just stared at him with wide eyes.

"Did you just say Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot and _Prongs_?" she gasped and James nodded.

"What? Do those names mean something to you?" Albus asked, suspicious.

"_Do you not know who they are?_" Rose gasped, her eyes now as wide as golf balls as James and Albus shook their heads no. "Wormtail was Peter Peddigrew! The guy who betrayed your grandparents to Voldemort!"

James quickly dropped the map in disgust. "Ugh!" He exclaimed, "Why the bloody hell would dad have something of _his _in our house?"

"Because of the other three names!" Rose shouted at him, as if it were obvious. "Moony was Remus Lupin! Teddy's dad! Apperantely he and your grandpa were super close, which is why Uncle Harry's Teddy's godfather! And then of course Padfoot is Sirius Black! He was the first guy to ever escape Azkaban, and he did it just to save uncle Harry."

"Then who's Prongs?" Asked Albus, and Rose looked shocked for him to ask this.

"Prongs is your grandfather! James Potter!"

"Wait," James started as he finally registered what Rose was telling them, "So _our _grandpa, and all his friends created a magical map of Hogwarts?" Rose nodded. "Wow. Our family rules!" James exclaimed and quickly punched the air. The whole group of them burst into giggles.

"Now all we need to know if how to hide it. Rose, you do the honors."

Rose looked shocked as James handed her his wand. "What do you want me to do?"

"Say what ever you have to to get the map to turn back into a regular peice of parchment." James said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Rose's eyes widened. "I don't know how to turn it off!"

James' face fell. "You-you don't?" He asked shocked.

"Of course not! I barely remembered how to open it."

"But I can't have this thing lying around! Someone'll find it and they'll take it!" James exclaimed.

"Give it to me." Riley suggested. "I can lock it in my trunk, and me and Rose can try to figure it out tonight."

"Here." James said, reluctantly handing the map to Riley. "But I swear if you loose it or mess it up I'll stupefy you."

Riley nodded, suddenly scared of James as she realized how advanced the magic he was capable of was. He quickly got up and left the table, without saying a word as to where he was going.

"Don't worry about James." Rose said, nudging Riley. "He won't do anything to hurt you."

"I'm gonna try to not give him a reason to." Riley said. "Come on, let's go to the common room to get this map locked up." Rose and Albus agreed, and soon they were back in the Gryffindor common room.

Riley quickly ran up to her dormitory, and stuffed the rolled up map in her sock. She then ran back to Albus and Rose, and they made their way to Potions, with Professor Slughorn.

The trio burst through the door, only to discover they were the last to get to class.

"What is your excuse for your tardyness?" Demanded Slughorn.

Rose, Albus and Riley looked at each other, knowing they couldn't say they were late because they had to stuff a map into a sock.

"Umm..." Albus started to say.

"We got lost." Rose said. "We're only first years, and the castle's layout is so confusing."

"Very well." Professor Slughorn sighed. "I'll overlook it this time. But try to not be late to my class next time. Can I have your names?"

"Albus Potter, Rose Weasley and Riley Gables." Albus answered for the three of them.

"Bless my soul." Slughorn said excitedly. "I've got a Weasley _and _a Potter. Come, come sit up front!" Professor Slughorn cried, ushering some Slytherins out of their seats and to a table in the back. Riley, Rose and Albus started to head towards the now empty table, but Slughorn once again interupted them. "No not you dear." He was talking to Riley. "You can go back and sit with them." He guestured to th Slytherins that he had sent to the back, and Riley's eyes widened with horror. The thee Slytherins were none other than Scorpius Malfoy, Blotch, and Armour. She gave a horrified look to Slughorn, and he happily shooed her along. Riley quickly made eye contact with Rose and Albus, and was relieved to see that they too, looked terrifed for her.

Grudingly, she dragged her feet back, and plopped down into the seat by Scorpius. He had a scowl on his face and did not look happy to have her sitting by him. Slughorn didn't seem to notice the look of torture on Riley's, or Scorpius' face, and began his lesson.

"Welcome to potions class!" He cheered. "This is one of the few classes you won't need your wands, so please, put them away." He waited as the few students who had wands on their tables put them into their bags. "Today, we will start our potions class with a potion. I trust you all have the necessary potion ingredients?" A few students murmered yes. "Good. The potion we will be brewing today is the Cure for Boils, and it most likely the simplest potion there is. Now when you are brewing a potion, you must follow the instructions exactly, or the potion could go terribly wrong.

"We will start this potion, by adding 6 snake fangs to the mortar." Scorpius grabbed the bad on snake fangs on the table and quickly added 6 of them to the small bowl. Riley glared at him for not letting her do it.

Scorpius noticed her glare and murmered, "What's the matter? Is the mudblood angry?"

"No, not at all." She murmered back sarcastically. "Unless the ugly pureblood doesn't get what he wants."

She saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes as Slughorn read out the next instructions. "Now, crush the snake fangs into a rough powder." Scorpius, again, did this.

"Was that supposed be an insult? Because being a pureblood is pretty fun. If you ask me." Scorpius said this as he was crushing the fangs.

"Well I didn't." Riley commented. "And stop crushing the fangs! Slughorn said _rough _powder, not turn the fangs into dust." She pulled the pestal out of his hands so he would stop crushing the fangs.

"Give that back you mudblood!" He shouted, not trying to keep his voice low. Slughorn turned away from Albus's table and projected his voice to the back.

"Is there a problem back there?" Slughorn asked Scorpius and Riley.

"No, not at all!" Riley said, adding some forced happiness to her voice. Slughorn nodded, then turned back to Albus and Rose's table.

"What was that for? You could have been put away from me!" Scorpius demanded.

"I can't get in trouble for talking on the first day of class! My mum would be so dissapointed."

Scorpius didn't say anything to that, but Riley thought she heard the words _filthy muggle _escape from his lips.

The rest of potions continued very much like the beginning. Slughorn read instructions for the potion and waited as the class followed them. Scorpius would always start doing something, then right before he messed up, Riley would fix it.

Finally, an hour and a half later, their potion was completed. Riley watched nervously as Professor Slughorn checked everyone's potion. He stopped at Bloth and Armour's table, and murmered something about the green ooz coming out of their cauldron. Then, he turned to Riley and Scorpius's potion, and looked very pleased at what he saw.

"Very well, very well!" He exclaimed. "This is a near perfect potion! The best I've seen so far in this class. 10 points to both Slytherin and Gryffindor! I think this seating arrangement will work out quite well, don't you agree?" Scorpius and Riley just grimaced. "Excellent!" Slughorn cried. "I will expect you two to be sitting here when our next potions class is."

After saying that, Proffessor Slughorn turned and left back to the front of the class to dismiss everyone. Riley grabbed her bag and headed over to Albus and Rose to tell them what Slughorn had said.

After she finished telling them her story, they looked shocked. "He honestly thinks a Gryffindor and a Slytherin were good at making potions together?" Albus asked. "I've heard he's gone mental. Supposedly he's like, 160. No wonder he's gone mental."

"I know, he's insane." Riley said, agreeing with Albus. "Anyway, what was he talking to you about? I noticed he kept stopping at your table."

"Oh, he kept asking us questions about dad and mum, and what stories we've heard of him, and stuff like that." Rose answered. "Although he seemed a little disappointed to find I was Ron's kid. I suspect he wanted me to be Bill, or Charlie's kid, I think they both had him before he left. But, of course, he was all too excited to discover I was the 'lovely child of Hermione Granger'." Riley said this with an irritated tone. "James wasn't joking, all he cares about is fame, and how much of it he can get."

"Well at least you don't have to sit by Scorpius the whole class. He kept taking potion ingredients away from me, and tried to make the whole bloody potion himself. I had to stop him in the middle of everything he did because he was doing it wrong. I'm suprised our potion didn't look a little more like Blotch and Armour's."

"Because you helped him." Rose said, reassuring Riley.

"Thanks." she said, as they reached the large hut outside of the castle, where the half giant Hagrid, was waiting for his class.


	6. Care of Magical Creatures

**Chapter 6: Care of Magical Creatures**

"Hi there Albus! Rose!" Hagrid greeted them enthusiastically when he saw them in his class.

"Hi Hagrid!" Rose called back, smiling and waving as the three of them trudged over to him. "How have you been?"

"Good. I've been lookin' into gettin a new dog. It's been kinda lonely with out Fang here. Maybe I could see if Aliquam would let me get a dragon."

"Bilmey, do you really think he would?" Albus asked him, suddenly excited at the thought of Hagrid getting a pet dragon.

"I reckon he may." Hagrid said, then he seemed to notice Riley. "Oy! I've been rude to yer new friend. Names Rubeus Hagrid." He held out a massive, hand, and offered it to Riley. "Reckon you met these fella's on the train?"

Riley hesitantly grabbed his hand and shook it. "Yes sir." she said, her voice small.

"Don't be shy! What's yer name anyways?"

"I'm Riley. Riley Gables."

"Nice ter meet yah Riley!" He gave her a hugr grin and turned back to Albus and Rose. "I spose yer dads told you that I wouldn't be teachin you fellas until around yer third year." Rose nodded, confirming this. "Well, I spoke ter Aliquam, and he agreed ter let me test out lower level classes! So now I teach this ter you, and to the second years."

"That's brilliant Hagrid! Mum'll be so happy to hear that!" Rose exclaimed.

"I reckon she would."

"Um, Proffessor Hagrid?" Riley asked, noticing all the waiting Gryffindors. "Are you going to, um, start class soon?"

"Blimey!" Hagrid exclaimed, jumping up. "Yer right! Erm, 10 points to Gryffindor fer Riley being good at paying attention!"

Riley smiled when he awarded her these points. So far she had got Gryffindor 20 points, and it was only the first day of classes.

Hagrid started the class by bringing out a funny looking creature that he called a "gnome". Riley thought he was kidding until Albus explained that in the wizarding world, a gnome is a creature that is disliked, instead of the muggle version of a little happy person with a tall hat on. After they learned how to get rid of gnomes, Riley saw how they were do disliked, and wondered why Hagrid taught them on their way to the Great Hall.

"I wonder why they still let him teach here?" Rose whispered once they sat down. "I mean, he's very sweet and all, but he taught us about the one thing anyone with a living wizard parent would know about. I'm sure we've all had to de-gnome a garden once in our lives."

"I haven't." Riley said. "Remember, my mum was a muggle and I never knew my dad, so I was raised as a muggle."

"Wait a minute." Albus said. "If you never knew your dad, why does Scorpius call you a you-know-what? You could be a half blood for all he knows!"

"I guess to him if I was raised by muggles, I'm as good as a mudblood."

"Well what if he knows something? Something that would make him _know _you're a mudblood. Maybe he knows your dad!" Albus exclaimed.

"I doubt it." Riley said. "I mean, if he knew I was a mudblood, it would mean he knew my dad was a muggle. His family just doesn't seem the type to associate with muggles. It doesn't really matter anyway, we're Gryffindors, not Slytherins, blood status doesn't matter."

"I guess you're right." Albus said, "I just think it'd be fun to find out."

"If it involves associating with Slytherins, I'll pass." Riley said, "I get enough of Slytherins in potions."

"I'd offer to sit by you if Slughorn would let me." Rose said, putting a comforting hand on Rose's arm. "But I think we're kind of his 'prize students', you know? The kids of the people who helped defeat You-Know-Who."

"Voldemort." Albus said, rolling his eyes at Rose as he picked up a chicken leg from the lunch that suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Stop that! You know I won't say the name!" Rose said, clapping her hands to her ears.

Albus laughed, but them turned serious. "Sorry." He apoligized. "Just don't forget what you mum always says: 'Fear of a name, only increases fear of the thing itself.'"

"How can I forget when you keep reminding me?" Rose asked, but smiled. "So what classes do you hope we have next?"

"I want defense against the dark arts and flying." Riley said eagerly. "I think it'd be fun to try out for Quidditch next year, even though I'm not entirely sure what it is."

"Flying would be cool," Albus agreed, "but I've heard they don't start that class until a few weeks into the semester. I'd be fine with anything except a history of magic."

"What's wrong with a history of magic?" Riley asked, confused. She had heard all the classes at Hogwarts were fun.

"Well, dad told me it was super boring, the worst class here! It's the only class taught by a ghost, and all he does is talk." Albus explained.

"Apperantely he died in his sleep, woke up, walked out of his body, and kept teaching." Rose added.

"So the Proffessor is a _ghost_?" Riley asked, shocked.

"Yep. He died here at Hogwarts. Died of old age I presume." Rose confirmed.

"That's creepy." Riley said, and then the conversation between the other Gryffindors engulfed them. They started talking to Mike, Peter and Korica. It was funny because Korica kept interupting them to ask Albus about his dad. She wasn't kidding when she had said the other night she was a fan of the Potters. It seemed as if she was determined to get as much information out of Albus as possible. Soon enough though, Professor McGonagall walked up to the table, to give the first years their schedule for the rest of the day.

"Hello students." She spoke, "I assume you have all enjoyed your first classes here at Hogwarts, and I am about to give you your next classes. First, you will have Transfiguration with me, and following that, you will have a History of Magic with the Hufflepuffs." Albus groaned. "I am heading over to the transfiguration classroom now, so if any of you are not sure where it is and would like to follow me, feel free to." She turned and started to walk away as some first years hurridly picked up their stuff to follow her.

Riley, Rose and Albus quickly finished their food, and followed the rest of their class out of the Great Hall, and to transfiguration.

Rose had warned Riley earlier, that you have to start out small in transfiguration, and it wasn't very easy. But when class started and Professor McGongall quickly transformed her desk into a horse and back, Riley thought Rose had been kidding.

"Now," began McGongall. "Some of you in here may be thrilled to learn the wonderful magic of transfiguration, but if you wish to succeed, you must work hard and concentrate. Transfiguration is some of the most complex, and dangerous magic you will preform while at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class, will be sent out, and not allowed to return. You have been warned." She took time to look at every student, to make sure they understood, before introducing the lesson. We will be starting small today, very small. On your desks, you should each have a match. I would like each of you to try and transfigure that match, into a needle, using the incantation _'quadro verto'_." A few people murmered it. "You may begin."

Professor McGonagall walked around the room, observing and making comments on how people did it. Riley pulled her wand out of her bag and thought excitedly _this will be the first bit of magic I'll ever do_. She took a deep breath, nervous to mess up. "_Quadro Verto._" she said clearly, with a flick of her wand. Nothing happened. She tried again "_Quadre Verto_." She said it this time, clearer, and stronger than before. Yet again, nothing happened.

Irritably, she glanced over at her partner Katie's match, to see if she had made any progress, and was a little smug to see that she too, hadn't. McGonagall then walked over to the two, and asked for each of them to demonstrate what they were doing. Riley flicked her wand and said, "_Quadro verto._" Unfortunately, nothing happened, once again.

"You need to be more direct with your wand. Do more of a swish and flick with it instead of a direct point." She demonstranted with her own wand. "Try that."

Riley picked up her wand and concentrated on her match. "_Quadro verto_.". To her absolute delight, the match grew slightly longer and thinner. A hint of silver spread over the match. Riley smiled, please at what she had done.

"Very good." Congratulated McGonagall, then she turned to Katie. Riley watched Katie's match as she did the spell again, with Professor McGongall's corrections. Her match too grew longer, but did not get the same silver glow as Riley's. Professor McGonagall made a quick comment to her, and then left to another table.

After class had ended, Riley caught up with Albus and Rose, who too had been placed at a different table. McGonagall had placed Albus with Peter, and Rose with Korica. Rose was in a very good mood on their way to History of Magic, because by the end of class, she had almost successfully transfigured her match, while Albus, had only turned his silver.

They were so engrossed in talking about what they had sucessfully done in transfiguration, they didn't even notice the guest teacher in a history of magic.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

Who do you think the guest speaker is?

How did you like this chapter? What has been your favorite part so far?

Thanks for all the reviews, and subscriptions and favorite author'd and all that stuff! You don't know how much it means to me for you to read this and do that!


	7. The Guest Speaker

**Chapter 7: The Special Guest**

"Albus! Rose!" A voice exclaimed as the stepped through the doors to the classroom. The three of whipped around towards the voice that had called them. Rose automatically ran up to the lady who had called out to them, while Albus stoof where he was, shocked to see her. "Albus! Don't just stand there like that! Come and give your Aunt Hermione a hug!" Now it was Riley's turn to be shocked as Albus headed over to Hermione, and hugged her. One of the most famous witches alive was at Hogwarts, in their classroom. Riley couldn't believe it.

"Riley!" Rose called towards her, with a huge grin on her face, "Come over here! I want you to meet my mum!" Quickly, Riley headed over to Albus, Rose and Hermione, so she could meet the famous witch.

Hermione stuck her hand out at Riley, a grin on her face. "Nice to meet you Riley, I'm Hermione." Riley grabbed her hand and shook it.

"Nice to-nice to meet you Hermione." Riley sputtered. She still couldn't believe she was meeting this famous witch, even though once she thought about it, being friends with Rose and Albus, it was bound to happen.

Hermione smiled, then turned her attention to Rose, "So you wanted to know why I was here?" She asked her daughter and Rose nodded. "Well, Professor Aliquam didn't find Professor Binns suitable to teach children anymore, because hardly anyone exceeded in the O.W.L.s for this class, and no one continued to N.E.W.T level, so now he's looking for a replacement teacher."

"And you're going to take his place?" Albus asked, wide eyed, with a grin on his face.

Hermione laughed, "Oh you flatter me. No, I can't say I am. The first subject you guys are supposed to learn about, is the Battle of Hogwarts. Professor Aliquam thinks it would be a good idea, while he finds a new teacher, that members of the Order, who fought in the battle, teach _about _the battle."

"So dad's going to be here on day?" Albus asked, excitement growing in his eyes.

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed, "And so will Ginny, and Ron." Riley caught herself grinning when she realized she was going to meet Harry, Ron, and Ginny before she was even done with her first year. "Now take your seats with the rest of your class." Hermione pushed the three of them away, "You two," She nudged Albus and Rose, "See enough of me at home anyway."

Albus and Rose murmered, "Ok." and followed Riley to their seats.

Hermione was a fascinating teacher. Riley quickly found herself leaning forward in her chair, in order to hear better. She found the whole concept of the battle facinating, and Hermione explained it all in such great detail. Hermione described deaths she remembered, and how traumatic it was, to know some of your best friends were dead, and have to fight on. One name Hermione mentioned, Fred, stuck out particularly in Riley's head, and Riley remembered earlier that morning when Rose mentioned her Uncle Fred. Silently, she wondered if they were the same people, but was quickly pulled out of her thoughts, and back into the story of the war.

Too soon, though, class ended and Hermione finished her lecture. Riley gathered her stuff up, then went to join Albus and Rose, who were, again, talking to Hermione.

"Are you going to teach again tomorrow?" Rose asked, in a begging sort of tone.

"I can't. I'm sorry." Hermione apoligized. "You know as well as I do, if I leave your dad and Hugo at the house for longer than a day, I'll return to a big pile of rubble." Rose laughed. "I'll see you at Christmas though, and you can always send us an owl."

"I will." Rose promised, but then paused. "Wait a minute," she began, "How are you supposed to leave? The Hogwarts Express shouldn't return until christmas!"

Hermione laughed, "Well, I'll be apparating home." She said simply.

"You can't apparate out of Hogwarts!" Rose exclaimed. "You've mentioned it at home thousands of times."

"Yes, I was always correcting your dads when they were at Hogwarts." She laughed with the memory, then turned back to Rose, "I'm heading to Hogsmeade and leaving from there." Rose nodded in understanding, "Well, it's about I leave. I think Kingsley will be here for the next class you have."

"Don't go!" Exclaimed Albus. Riley silently agreed with Albus, Hermione seemed too fun to leave so soon.

"Well, I'm afraid I must." She apoligized. "Oh, and if you'd like, Professor Aliquam offered to set up a port key so you can come to the Weasley's this weekend. Would you like that?"

"Yes!" shouted Albus immediately after she got the words out. "Is James coming too?"

"If he'd like to. I didn't get second years today, so it'd be wonderful if you'd ask him for me." Albus nodded excitedly.

"What about Riley?" Rose asked.

"Oh," Hermione turned to look at Riley, "Yes, of course." Riley and Rose both grinned. "But, she has to write and owl to her mum asking for permission. Can you do that?" She asked Riley.

"Yes!" Exclaimed Riley. "I'll do it tonight."

"Ok, good. I really have to go now guys, I'll see you three this weekend. Just tell Professor McGonagall you're going and Professor Aliquam will have the port key ready Saturday morning."

Rose, Albus, and Riley were all bursting with excitement as they headed to the Great Hall for dinner. Riley was hardly paying any attention to what she was eating, and piled food onto her plate. Finally, after what felt like hours, they were dismissed to their common rooms.

Riley, Rose and Albus burst into the common room, and Riley quickly scribbled down some stuff on a peice of parchment, asking for permission to go to the Weasley's house that weekend. Then, she realized she had no way to deliver it, the students weren't going to be allowed out of the common room until the next day, and she had to get the letter to her mother as soon as possible.

Suddenly, after Riley explained her problem to Albus and Rose, Albus had an idea. "We could use the map." he suggested. "It shows everyone. We could use it to avoid everyone on the way up to the owlery. The only problem may be the ghosts, I'm not sure if the map shows them, and we wouldn't want to run into Peeves." Riley remembered the ghosts complaining about Peeves the other night before the sorting ceremony, and agreed it would be best to avoid him.

"It shows ghosts." Rose confirmed, "I remember seeing Nearly Headless Nick's name on the map when I looked at it earlier, and there's not a high possibility there's a student here named Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington."

"Then that's perfect!" Riley cried, "I can send an owl to mum so I can go to your house this weekend. I'll go get the map." She turned towards the stairs, and almost left the common room when Albus stopped her.

"Wait." He said and Riley turned around. "We can't just go _now_. Even if we have the map, a Gryffindor is likely to spot our absence. We need to wait until everyone is asleep."

Riley groaned, "But that could take ages!"

"I know, but it would also take ages to sneak around the castle with half the school out of their dorms." Albus argued.

Riley considered this. "Fine." She finally agreed, stubbornly, "We'll meet down here at midnight. Everyone should be asleep by then because we've all got classes tomorrow. I'll bring the map with me, and we'll use it to sneak to the owlery. We can mail the letter, and then, if we aren't tired yet, Albus can come up to our dorm, and we can work on turning the map off."

"Ok, that sounds like a plan." Albus said, and the three of them each went up to their dorms.

Rose and Riley each said goodnight to Albus, and hurried up to their room. Riley quickly ran to her trunk, unlocked it, and grabbed the sock containing the map. She plopped down on her bed, and guestured for Rose to join her. Rose did, and Riley pulled the curtains around her bed, so no one would know about the map. Neither Rose, nor Riley knew any spells to create a light, so Riley had to get out a flashlight, which facinated Rose.

They watched the map and giggled until, at last, their clocks read midnight. Silently, they tiptoed out of bed, and down the stairs, where they found Albus waiting on the couch, staring into the fire.

Albus looked up when he heard them, and his face broke out into a grin. "Ready?" He whispered excitedly and Rose and Riley nodded. Albus eyed the map and the said, "Great. Let's go."

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my last chapter, and thanks to Lazaraz for being a fan fiction inspiration! 7. I'm not going to slow down how often I upload, and upload a new chapter every Monday. That way, there will be less spelling mistakes, and longer chapters! 7 7

QUESTIONS:

How do you think getting to the Owlrey will turn out?

What do you think Riley's mum'll say?

Were you glad Hermione was the guest speaker?


	8. The Marauders Map

**Chapter 8: The Marauders Map**

The trio clambered out of the portrait hole, Riley gripping the map in hand. "You three! Get back in bed!" Exclaimed the Fat Lady, but the trio ignored her.

Riley glanced at the map, and quickly located the them standing just outside the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Then, she froze, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head, as she saw a dot moving quickly towards them.

"What's the matter?" Rose asked, eyes wide at seeing Riley's sudden expression. "No one's coming right?" Riley didn't answer, she was too busy intently watching the dot, as it grew closer, staring at the name floating under it. "Right?" Rose nearly screamed it, and Riley snapped her head up.

"Riley," Albus asked urgently, "Who's coming?"

Just then James rounded the corner, his mouth stuffed with food, and more snacks in his arms. He froze when he saw them.

"James!" Albus hissed, shocked to see his older brother out of the common room, when no one saw him leave. "What are you doing?"

James quickly swallowed the food in his mouth, and answered Albus. "I left to go get food from the kitchens!" he whispered. "What are you doing out here? You guys are more likely to get caught then a trained professional like me!"

"Trained professional?" Rose laughed. "And besides, we won't get caught because we have this." She gestured to the map in Riley's hand. "We know where everyone is in the castle."

James eyed the map. "You really shouldn't be carrying that around, especially if you don't know how to clear the map off! What if someone catches you because you aren't looking at the map? They'll know exactly what it is, and confiscate it! You won't see it until you graduate, if they even give what they take away back."

"Relax James." Albus said, "We won't be gone long. We're just heading to the owlery to send Riley's mum a letter."

"Your sneaking out in the middle of the night to deliver a _letter_? Why can't you wait until morning?" James asked, shocked.

"We need her answer as soon as possible. Aunt Mione wants us to visit this weekend and Riley's invited. You are too, so if you want to, meet us Saturday morning in Aliquam's office." Albus explained. "We really need to go. Don't worry, we won't get caught." And with that, Albus started to head down a set of stairs, with Rose and Riley trailing after him.

After the first staircase, they paused to consult the map. They quickly located Filch, who was sitting in his office. From the point of view of the map, it seemed as though he fell asleep, so they weren't worried about him. Professor McGonagall however, was one of the few dots moving about, the other dots being Albus, Rose, and Riley. Currently, she wasn't a worry for the trio, seeing as she was in the other side of the castle, but Riley promised to keep an eye on the dot in case it got in their way.

Then, they started to head towards the owlery. Rose nor Albus seemed to know where it was, but, seeing as it was an owlery, they figured it would be best to go up, and if they had to, consult the map farther away from the pictures surrounding the walls. Although teachers and prefects were their biggest worries, the pictures were still active and they didn't want them to start chatting amongst each other about the three.

Quickly, the three retraced their steps to the fat lady, but instead of going back into their common room, they continued going up the staircases, keeping an eye on the map for McGonagall. The trio soon got lost in a large corridor of the castle, it was dark, and Riley would only risk her wand tip being lightly lit so she could keep an eye on the map.

"This is crazy. Let me see that." Albus took the map from Riley and got him own wand out to create a light. "_Lumos_." he murmured, and the tip of his wand produced a faint light.

"What are you doing?" hissed Rose.

"I'm seeing if animals show up on this bloody thing." Albus replied, searching on the map. "If they do, we can find Riley's owl, and then figure out where we need to go to get to it. Riley, what's your owls name? I forgot."

"Juniper." Riley answered, quickly.

Albus searched for a minute more, then his eyes lit up. "Found her." He squinted at the map. "Seems like she's still in the owlery. We're nearly there it seems. Just down a few more corridors. I'll lead the way, follow me."

Rose and Riley quickly followed Albus and within minutes, they were heading up a spiral staircase to what Albus claimed to be the owlery. Soon, they started hearing soft hoots, which grew louder the higher up they went, and before they knew it, they were walking around the owlery looking for Riley's owl Juniper.

"What's she look like again?" Rose asked Riley while studying the owls.

"Well," Riley began while trying to remember. "She's got kind of brown feathers, and white feathers, but her feathers are mainly black."

"Is this her?" Albus asked, pointing to a dark owl.

"No, she's a little lighter than that. She's got more white feathers than that one."

They kept searching through owls, but without luck. Riley, Albus and Rose were about to give up, and use on of the schools owls, whose absence would be noticed, when a slightly dark owl flew down from a pillar above, and landed on Riley's shoulder.

"Juniper!" Riley exclaimed. "Guys this is her!"

"No wonder we couldn't find her." Rose said, sounding amused, "She was up _there_!"

"Never mind that, let's just give her the letter so we can get back." said Albus with a glace at the map. "McGonagall's moving closer to this part of the castle. Of course, we don't need to worry now," he added, seeing Riley's and Rose's expressions, "but if we don't head back soon, we may have to."

Riley hastily took the piece of parchment with the note to her mother out of her pocket, and handed it to Rose to tie onto Juniper's leg.

"Take this to mum, and don't leave until she's given us an answer." Riley told the owl, and, as if it understood completely, it jumped off her shoulder, and out into the night.

"Now let's get out of here." Albus said, ushering Rose and Riley out the door and back onto the staircase. "McGonagall is getting closer, but we should have enough time to get away from her. It'll be close," he warned, "but we should be able to do it."

The trio, quickly ran down the staircase, and back to the corridor where they stopped on the way up, still avoiding McGonagall. Albus consulted the map, and traced out the fastest way to the common room, which strayed away from McGonagall.

They were nearly to the portrait of the Fat Lady which hid their common room, when Albus froze. Riley and Rose, who had been running, ran into him.

"Stop!" He hissed, quieter than he had been all night. He held a finger up to his lips. "Do you hear that?" he asked, listening intently.

Riley froze, and strained her ears for any sign of noise. Faintly, she heard someone singing. "Who is it?" She asked.

Albus looked at the map. "I don't know." He finally answered after a moment. "There's no one on the map anywhere near us."

"I bet it was just a painting." Rose whispered. "You know how much the Fat Lady loves to sing."

"Yeah," Albus agreed, although he wasn't entirely convinced, "that's probably what it was."

Riley listened some more, to try and figure out if the singing had come from a section of Hogwarts Albus hadn't noticed on the map, but it had stopped. "I don't hear anything anymore." She whispered. "Let's just get back to the common room."

They ran as fast as they could, while staying quiet, to the Fat Lady. She was sleeping and did not appear to be very pleased to be woken up.

"What are you three doing out of bed?" the Fat Lady asked, annoyed.

"Bathroom." Rose said, at the same time Albus said "Virtus."

"Well that was a very long bathroom break if you ask me." The Fat Lady commented.

"Never mind that," Albus said, clearly irritated. "Just let us in. Virtus."

"Fine. But I should hope that next time you use the loo before I go to sleep." The Fat Lady commented, but just before she was going to swing forward to let them in, a large crashing noise came from behind them.

"_Peeves!_" Someone screamed, and Riley instantly recognized the high pitched voice as Professor McGonagall's.

Quickly, Riley, Albus and Rose were facing the Fat Lady again, begging her to open the door, but it was too late. Peeves had flown up and spotted them.

"What do we have here?" He cackled as Albus shoved the map into his robes. "A little present for Peevsies? McGonagall will _love _hearing about this."

"No, please." Albus started to beg, but it was too late, Peeves had started screaming.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS OUT OF BED! THERE ARE THREE FIRST YEARS EXPLORING THE CASTLE AT NIGHT!"

McGonagall came running up the stair cases, she had a bloody ghost trailing behind her, whom Riley recognised as the ghost from the Slytherin table.

"_PEEVES!_" McGonagall shouted this time. "KEEP IT _DOWN_!" But instead of doing so, Peeves simply vanished. McGonagall looked very tired, and very frustrated, and Riley was hoping she would turn and leave without noticing them. McGonagall was about to do this, and appeared to be turning, when she spotted the trio. "Potter! Weasley! Gables! _What _are you doing out of bed?"

"We had to use the loo." Rose answered quickly, using the same excuse that she used for the Fat Lady, and Riley hoped it would work again.

"All three of you?" McGonagall asked, suspicious. "Together?"

"Well Rose and Riley were originally going together, but when they came down I was still awake and offered to take them there."

"We weren't entirely sure where the loo was so we let Albus lead us. We figured it was alright to leave if it was to use the bathroom." Riley continued, explaining why they allowed Albus to go.

"Very well." McGonagall sighed. "I'll let it slide this time, but keep in mind that students are never allowed to wander about the castle at night. No matter the reason. Now Fat Lady, please let these three into their common room, so they can go to bed."

The Fat Lady sighed and swung out, and the trio climbed into their common room.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

So how did you like that so far? Sorry it's taken so long for me to upload chapters, I had a computer malfunction on the computer this is saved on, but from now on, chapters should be uploaded at a normal pace! Every Monday!

If you leave a review and would like me to respond, please make an account! Then I always know it's you and it's simpler to reply.

Let me know if you find a flaw and I'll try to fix it ASAP!

Questions I've had:

Isn't Neville Longbottom the herbology teacher? Yes, and I've figured out a way to fix that so now he officially is!

Don't you think Slughorn would have gone into retirement by now? I suppose so, but I'm going to write him as being very old, and have him retire at the end of the year. Or something tragic will happen and he'll die, you'll just have to read and find out.

The transfiguration spell is only for turning things into goblets: Actually, that is a completely original spell, and is now to turn a match into a needle.


	9. Ron and Hermione

**Chapter 9: Ron and Hermione**

They found James waiting for them behind the Fat Lady. His face lit up when he saw them.

"You didn't get caught did you? Have you still got the map? Give it here!"

Albus pulled the folded up map out of his pocket tiredly, and handed it to James. "Here," he mumbled, "Keep it for the night. I'm so tired I could curl up in my sock drawer, and sleep for days." He turned and said good night to the girls, and soon disappeared behind the spiral staircase leading to his dorm. It wasn't long before Rose followed his example, and left too.

Riley, who was too full of adrenaline to even consider sleeping decided to stay up a little later with James. Her instincts were telling her she'd regret it the next day when classes came along, seeing as it was already three in the morning, but her mind wasn't thinking correctly and convinced her it would be fine to stay up for another hour.

Albus found her the next morning, feet away from where he had left her. She had sat down with James, and fell asleep not long after. She still looked tired though, and Albus half wanted to let her continue sleeping, but they had classes, and teachers would get suspicious if she didn't show up to the second day of class.

"Why are you staring at Riley like that? Is she sleeping?" Asked a voice from behind Albus. He jumped and turned around to see Ebony looking at him curiously.

"Oh, yeah, she is. I was deciding on whether to wake her up, or let her sleep."

Ebony studied Riley with Albus for a moment, then suddenly bent down to shake Riley's shoulders, trying to wake her.

Riley suddenly sprang up onto her knees and shouted, "I didn't do it!" before falling back to the ground and immediately back to sleep.

Albus, Ebony and a few other people in the common room who had turned when she shouted, laughed. Ebony tried to wake her up again, still laughing, by shaking her shoulders and whispering into her ear. Finally, after a few minutes of this, Riley stirred and sat up, without shouting and this time, and stayed awake.

Riley looked around and seemed to have realized what had happened. She groaned, "I did it again, didn't I?"

"Did what?" Albus asked, trying to sound as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Sleep screamed." Riley said, embarrassed. "I should have warned you guys about it. It can wake people up." She sighed and looked around to discover she was in the common room, on the floor. Quickly, she got up, looking embarrassed "What am I still doing in here?" She asked Albus, her face pink.

"I guess you fell asleep once me and Rose went up to our dormitories. Don't worry though, no one really noticed you lying there."

"That's comforting." Riley said, smiling. Then she noticed that Rose had quietly joined their conversation, and the three, plus a number of other first years, headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

The first years were chatting about the classes for that day very excitedly. They would be having their first herbology class with Professor Longbottom, whom Albus ad Rose seemed to know, and they would be having double Charms, with the Hufflepuffs. Rose and Albus were explaining the simple spell _Alohamora_, which unlocked things, to Riley when a very loud commotion was heard overhead. Riley looked up to see hundreds of owls flying into the Great Hall, each with a small note tied to their leg, or carrying a package. She scanned the owls, for her black barn owl Juniper, but with the large array of brown owls, she decided that if it had a note, it would just deliver it to her, as it should. It was not long until Juniper landed in front of Riley with a note in it's mouth, instead of tied on its leg as it should have been.

Slowly, she pried the letter from Juniper's mouth, being careful not to rip the parchment. She recognized her mum's scrawly handwriting on the outside of the letter, written with a muggle pen instead of a quill and ink. Her mum might resort to using a piece of parchment to write letters on, but she had not gotten used to the idea of using a quill, and having to keep dipping it into ink to write.

Albus and Rose, who had been watching Riley as she tugged the letter away from her stubborn owl, watched anxiously as she unfolded the parchment and read the letter aloud.

_Dear Riley,_

_ It seems like you're having a swell time already at Hogwarts, and I hope the fun continues. The woman you mentioned, Hermione, was one of the people in your books that you told me so much about wasn't she? And she's your friend's mum? I suppose you can go if the headmaster is fine with it. But if I hear you've decided to skip school next Monday and stay at the "Weasley's" house, you will not be allowed to go there again. _

_ Write me soon letting me know how your classes are._

_ Love,_

_ Mum_

_ P.S: Don't send me letters anymore at the time you did. I received it very late and was asleep when your owl showed up, and it would not leave until I replied. Please, send it in the morning, or the afternoon._

Riley finished reading the letter with a laugh, and looked up from the parchment with a huge grin on her face.

* * *

><p>The next few days passed in a fun filled blur. They had herbology, where they started studying an interesting plant called <em>Leavis Sublino<em>, which changed colors when you tickled it, and in Charms they started practicing a simple jinx, called the Jelly Legs Jinx. Rose was one of the only few students who was able to do any damage to Albus, who was her partner. Riley was with Ebony, and was only able to make her legs feel weak. They also had Defense Against the Dark Arts, with Professor Movens. He quickly became their favorite Professor, just as Victoire predicted would happen, when he brought in a few house elves from the kitchens so the class could observe their behavoirs for an essay they were expected to write. After the house elves left, Rose was given the opportunity to tell the class about the club that Hermione had set up when she was at Hogwarts, to try to get house elves wages. Apparently the club was still active, but only a few muggle-borns were in it, and they didn't get much progress done.

Then, before Riley knew it, the trio plus James were waiting outside of Professor Aliquam's office, waiting to be admitted. Riley, Rose and Albus were practically bouncing with excitement, but James was just standing there, with a bored expression on his face.

"You don't have to come you know." Rose stated, turning her attention towards James. "Mum said you could stay at Hogwarts."

James rolled his eyes at this. "She said that, did she?" Rose nodded. "Well she lied. If she didn't bloody care so much, I'd stay here." He continued, stopping Rose's protests of _But she said she didn't care_. "She cares. If we decided not to go one weekend, she'd assume we stopped caring as much. She's a _woman_," he said the word woman as if it explained everything, "so she cares."

"Just because she's a woman doesn't mean she cares about everything." Rose argued.

James rolled his eyes again and was about to say something back, when the large, double doors concealing Professor Aliquam's office magically swung open.

"You may come in." The happy voice of Professor Aliquam said.

The four of them walked through the doors, into the headmaster's office. Albus, Rose and Riley stood with wide eyes, taking in the office. Professor Aliquam seemed to have everything magical there. Riley recognized the Sorting Hat, resting on one of the shelves, and she could easily see that nearly everything in the room had a magical quality.

There was a small, clear orb with light smoke in it on Professor Aliquam's desk, and right next to that was an unusual item that looked like a golden, extra-squiggly, television aerial. Inside a glass case was an unusual necklace, with an hourglass inside a few golden rings. Propped against the wall, was a very old broomstick, and, framed on the wall next to it, was a gleaming sword, with the words _Godric Gryffindor _etched on the side. Sitting in the middle of the room, was what Riley guessed to be the port key. Rose had explained to her that portkeys were typically everyday objects, that muggles would think was trash and avoid. This port key was an old, tattered umbrella, with holes and a bent handle. Riley eyed it, but her eyes were soon drawn back to the sword, still shining in it's case.

Professor Aliquam followed Riley's eyes and noticed that she was staring with great interesting at the sword. "Ah," he began and Riley turned to look at him, assuming it was time to leave. "I see you have sparked an interest in the sword of Godric Gryffindor." Riley just stared at him. "It indeed belonged to the creator of the Gryffindor house himself, who hired goblins to create it. A very unusual sword, it is. When a worthy Gryffindor is in need of a bit of help, the sword will vanish, and reappear where that Gryffindor is."

"That's cool." Riley admitted after a moment, with a gleam in her eye.

"Very cool." Professor Aliquam confirmed, the turned his attention to the tattered umbrella. "The port key is set to leave in exactly one minute. I suggest you grab hold of it now, before it leaves without you."

James, Albus and Rose quickly grabbed a section of the umbrella and Riley quickly followed their example.

"Ever traveled by port key before Riley?" Albus asked, with a sort of smile on his face.

"No." Riley admitted.

Albus smiled even bigger, "Well, enjoy the ride."

Just seconds after Albus said that, the port key took off. Riley immediately felt an unpleasant tug behind her navel, and jerked forward. She kept bumping into Rose and James, but she couldn't let go. It was if a magical, magnetic force was pulling her towards the umbrella.

Quickly, her feet slammed on the ground, and she fell over, dragging Albus and Rose with her. They were all laughing in a pile on the ground, when an unfamiliar voice called to them from a distance.

"Oy!" The voice called. "Albus! Rose! Riley!"

Albus and Rose jumped off of Riley and Riley stood up, squinting to see if she could recognize who called. It was a tall, red headed man, with a long nose, and a face covered in freckles.

"Daddy!" Rose squealed, running towards the man and jumping into his arms. Riley suddenly knew who this man was. It was Ron Weasley, Harry Potter's best friend.

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><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES:<strong>

Well I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Personally it's one of my favorites, because you get to see Professor Aliquam's office and more of the classes now at Hogwarts.

**QUESTIONS: **How did you like this chapter? What was your favorite part?

What do you think the Weasleys/Potters/Gables will do at the Weasleys house over the weekend? Do you think everyone will like Riley?


	10. The Weasley House

**Chapter 10 The Weasleys**

It wasn't long before Albus, James and Riley were joining Rose and Ron, and following into the living room of their house. To Riley, it seemed like no matter where she looked, there was a magical item of some sort. When Ron led them through the kitchen, things were magically cleaning themselves, and every picture in every hallway was animated. Riley absolutely loved it.

"So what do you think?" Rose asked Riley, plopping down on the couch in what seemed to be the living area.

Riley looked around, at every magical thing in the room, from the simple moving pictures, to an odd colorful object she could not even begin to describe, then turned to Rose and sincerely said, "I love it. It's brilliant."

Rose broke into a huge grin. "Thanks. Me and mum decorated it ourselves."

"Took them nearly three weeks to do it too." Ron commented, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Speaking of mum," Rose continued, now directing her attention to her father, "Where is she? Sleeping I presume."

Ron nodded. "Hugo is too." he added.

"Hugo?" Riley asked, confused.

"Her little brother," Albus explained. "He's really funny. Loves playing jokes and stuff."

"He's been spending _loads _of time with George. Seems only fitting that he'd learn a few jokes here and there." Rose stated, like it was obvious, then returned her attention to her father.

Riley watched her with jealousy. It was clear that Rose loved her father. Riley could tell just by the way they interacted, and how much Rose tried to make conversation with him, that she practically idolized him. She knew it was silly, but she suddenly got a longing for a father of her own, which is something she'd been deprived of.

"When are dad and mum coming?" Albus asked excitedly. "They _are_ coming right? I want them to meet Riley!"

Ron laughed at Albus' enthusiasm, "Yeah, they're coming." He glanced over at a clock hanging on the wall. "They should be here in about an hour. Why don't we make some breakfast while we wait?"

The four kids agreed happily to breakfast, and Riley wondered what breakfast in a wizard family would be like. She was happily suprised to find that it was exactly like a muggle family breakfast, other than the fact that everything was made magically.

Soon, as she was digging into a pile of pancakes, a little, red haired boy came rushing into the room, and dived under the table. Right behind him came a very tired, and very wet Hermione, still in her bedclothes.

"_Hugo Weasley!" _She screeched.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed and jumped up from his seat, the crumbs from his breakfast falling to the floor - it turned out he ate as messy as Rose - possibly even messier. "What happened?"

Hermione pulled a now whimpering Hugo out from under the table and pushed him to Ron. "Hugo thought it'd be _funny _to test out George's new invention on me."

"Well what was it?" Ron asked he was rummaging through a cabinet for a towel so he could dry his wife, he eventually gave up and murmered a spell so one flew straight into his hands.

"Tell him Hugo." Hermione said, trying to calm herself down.

"Well," Hugo began, "it was a glass of water that I set on mummy's nightstand last night. It's secretly an alarm clock, so I used her wand to set it. When the person is supposed to wake up, the glass goes BOOM!" He made a huge gesture with his hands, "and water goes everywhere."

"Now Hugo," Ron said after wrapping the towel around his now shivering wife, "do you think that was a very wise thing to do?" Hugo shook his head no. "Do you promise not to do anything like it again?" Hugo shook his head yes, his eyes were wide, as if he were trying to prove he was being sincere. "Ok. Now just to make sure it doesn't happen again, you need to de-gnome the garden before Lily, Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny get here."

"But Daddy!" Hugo objected.

"Hugo. . ." Ron warned.

"Fine." and Hugo sulked outside, to start de-gnoming.

After Hugo was gone, and Hermione had returned downstairs, perfectly dry and properly dressed, a loud crack sounded outside of the house. Riley nearly jumped out of her seat because the sound was so similar to that of a gunshot. Rose and Albus however, had opposite reactions than Riley. They both ran to the door, with huge grins spreading quickly on their faces.

"Dad!" Albus shouted as the kitchen door was opened and a man with messy black hair, bright green eyes, and large, round glasses entered, followed close behind by a middle aged red head, and a young girl, also with red hair. Harry was of course the man in the glasses, Riley knew this right away. She could only assume that the red headed woman was his wife Ginny, and the young girl was Lily Luna, a girl she had heard much about from Albus and Rose.

"Hey Alb!" Harry greeted, ruffling his son's hair. "Hey Rosie!" He gave them both a hug, then noticed Riley, who was awkwardly sitting at the kitchen table, unsure of whether or not to get up and greet the Potters or to stay in her seat. "And who is this?" He asked, still looking at Riley.

"This is Riley!" Albus exclaimed, thrilled to have someone new to show Riley off to. "We met her on the train. She's in Gryffindor too!" Albus frowned, thinking. "Well . . .except during potions. Then she has to sit in the back with all the Slytherins."

"Do you know?" Harry asked, looking towards Riley again, studying her. She had the slight feeling that his eyes were trying to hide something, a look of recognition maybe. "Well why would that be?"

"Because we were late to the first class. Professor Slughorn put Rose and Albus in the front, and I was sent to sit in the back."

"Why did he put you two in front, eh? So he can make sure you don't blow up your new cauldrons?" Harry asked, poking Rose and Albus playfully in the stomach, Riley noticed his eyes flick back to her face occasionally, although his attention was directed at the other two.

Riley suddenly became conscious that Harry was not the only one in the room who kept glancing her way. She caught Ginny outright staring at her, with a slight look of shock on her face. Once the Potter mother noticed that Riley had seen her, she quickly recomposed herself, and left the room with Lily Luna to find Hugo.

She turned her attention back to the conversation between Harry, Rose, and Albus, which had turned from potions talk, to talk on the other classes at the wizarding school.

"-and when you tickle it, it changes colors!" Rose exclaimed,explaining the _Leavis Sublino _from their previous herbology class.

Riley half smiled, but just couldn't get interested into the conversation. She had her own mum at home who she could spend hours telling stories of school to, and, although Harry was quite interesting, she just didn't find it the same. Plus Harry's occasional scans of her face were a bit unnerving. Once the conversation switched to Care of Magical Creatures, and the teacher, Hagrid, Riley excused herself to go to the bathroom. Rose jumped up and offered to show her the way, but Riley declined, and lied about remembering passing one on the way in. Rose didn't seem entirely convinced, but didn't object.

Riley left the room and started to wander about the house. Truth be told she didn't have to use the bathroom, and wasn't even sure where any of them were, but she couldn't stand sitting in the kitchen with Harry, Albus and Rose any longer. It felt as if she was intruding on a family moment, even though all three of them had tried to engage her in conversation.

She walked through the hallways, thinking of her own mother and again longing for a father. It seemed as though she stopped and studied every family picture on the walls, and at each one a new wave of envy hit. She wished that she had a father who would take her swimming, or dress up as Santa to personally deliver presents on Christmas, like Ron did. It was at that moment, while studying a picture of a three year old Rose and Albus laugh as they unwrapped a young boy with blue hair from one of their Christmas presents, that Riley decided that she would do whatever she could to find her dad.

"What're you doing?" A voice asked from behind Riley. Riley jumped and twisted around to see a very entertained James behind her.

"What-what do you mean?" She asked, straightening her robes nervously.

"Well," began James, "you were staring at that picture for quite a while. I was starting to worry you had been petrified or something. . . never mind" he added seeing the confused look on Riley's face. "Let's just get back downstairs, everyone's been looking for you."

Riley followed James through the hallway, and down a flight of stairs that she didn't even remember going up. "Really, they have?" she asked, a bit suprised.

"Yeah. Rose started freaking out when you didn't return from the bathroom after 10 minutes. She insisted on searching all of them in the house, and tried setting up a search party. Apparently everyone wants to hear the story of you in the muggle world."

Riley continued following James down to the living area, and apologized to everyone for exploring the house without permission. It appeared that everyone was relieved to have located her, and Rose gave her a huge hug right away. Riley hugged her back and suddenly she felt as if she were truly a part of the Potter-Weasley family.

They spent the rest of the day telling stories. It seemed as most of the household loved Riley's stories the best, seeing as only two of them were raised by muggles like she had. Hermione offered up a few similar stories to Riley's, but Riley felt as if she was telling every other story. Not that she was complaining, she loved the audience, who was _Ooohing _and _Ahhhing _and laughing at the perfect parts. Ginny and Harry had stopped looking at her quite so weird and were laughing along with the rest of the family.

Quickly though, the sun had disappeared under the horizon, and Riley was in her nightgown, sharing Rose's room with Rose, and Riley was recalling the events of the day. In her mind, it was nearly a perfect day, the only thing that would have made it perfect, would be her mum being there, to join the fun.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

How did you like this chapter? I personally had loads of fun writing it! It's Christmas Eve, and I spent it sitting in my room, telling Riley's story. Uploading chapters has been a little slow, so over Christmas break, I'm going to prepare a few chapters that I can have ready to upload each Monday! This one is being uploaded a bit early, so think of it as a Christmas present :)

**Questions: **Why do you think people kept giving Riley odd looks? How are you enjoying the Weasley's?

Thanks to everyone who reviews each week, I truly love it! :D


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